Free ferries raise ire of users
“Freshwater ferries” inland in BC are all offered without charge. People who live on the Gulf Islands think their ferries should be treated in the same way. There is the usual argument about BC Ferries being part of the provincial highway system – which I think is a normative not a descriptive statement. It is certianly not historically accurate. If anything they were part of the national railway network (service to Vancouver Island being a condition of BC joining Canada).
What is somewhat surprising is that the Albion Ferry is also included in this discussion, as that is no longer a provincial service but was downloaded to Translink. So far as I am aware there is no specific funding for the ferry but was covered by the transfer of gas tax points in the same way that downloaded roads and bridges were. The story also fails to mention that the days of the free ferry from Surrey to Maple Meadows are numbered. It is to be replaced by the – tolled – Golden Ears Bridge. Most people using the ferry said they would be happy to pay a toll to avoid the long waits for the ferry and get a shorter journey time.
Stephen Rees's blog 
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